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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · pitcher · safe · stick · kid · spring · rock · clip

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — of water
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — the season
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rock — music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. spring — a coil
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. board — a committee
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. clip — for paper
  20. kid — child
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com